What A Surprise

Not the least bit surprising is the news from Northern Ireland of violence associated with the 12th of July Orange Parade activities. Attempts by leading Sinn Fein members, including Gerry Adams, to maintain calm failed and Adams was himself soaked by high-powered water from a police cannon. Debris was hurled from rooftops at the parade provocateurs. Stewards assigned to the task of maintaining control of nationalist Ardoyne residents were unable to contain the anger of protestors and were forced to give up.

According to the Irish Echo the violence erupted when supporters ahead of the returning Orange Order parade made gestures and shouted slogans at local nationalists who were penned behind police lines. Father Aidan Troy of Holy Cross School said the Loyalists had provoked and nationalists had reacted. He described the outcome as "so sad."

"Late last week", Sinn Féin assembly member for North Belfast, Gerry Kelly told the Irish Echo, "the Ardoyne Dialogue Group proposed a compromise for the 12th parade which would see the morning parade being facilitated and the evening leg re-routed". "This would have relieved tensions and provided the space for meaningful dialogue to commence over future parades. Given the events of the weekend when loyalists attempted to murder a Catholic family on the Crumlin Road this was the only sensible option. History teaches us that feuds between loyalist gangs tend to end with attacks on Catholics. It was untenable for the Parades Commission to force this parade and its supporters through."

Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams said an extremely volatile situation had been created as a result of rulings on marches through nationalist areas. Adams said the Orange Order was insisting on marching through nationalist areas where it was unwelcome. "I understand, support and appreciate the right of the Orange Order to march. However, they need to engage in real and meaningful dialogue with local residents."

Adams told UTV that despite the violence, it could have been much worse. "The fact is that the vast majority of people have demonstrated against the parade provocations peacefully and in a calm manner," he said. The West Belfast MP blamed police strategy for the trouble. "When the police moved in, in what I think was quite a reckless manner, they took management completely away from the stewards. They brought the water cannon in too quickly, we should have been allowed to keep order," he insisted.

Adams also said that, following the return to prison of Sean Kelly, he would not be putting pressure on any former prisoners to act as parade stewards. "Some former prisoners may well still step forward and I appreciate that, but I can understand why no-one released on license would want to risk incarceration," he said.

North Belfast Sinn Féin Assembly member Cathy Stanton today told Sinn Fein News that the Orange Order needed to recognize that its activities result in serious violence and cause massive disruption to many people. She said 'The Orange Order have this summer embarked upon a strategy to cause massive disruption, particularly in Belfast. The Orange Order cannot be allowed to hold the rest of the population to ransom summer after summer. It is time that they accepted that they have to treat nationalists with respect and equality. Dialogue is the way forward. They cannot be allowed to run away from this reality any longer. The Parades Commission has to stop rewarding intransigence."

Sinn Fein News reports over the past number of days there has been a litany of violent incidents directly linked to the Orange Order's Twelfth activities. Over the past three days these incidents have included:

• A UVF firing party at a Belfast City Council sponsored bonfire on the
Newtownards Road where the armed and masked gang also read out a statement threatening to 'destroy' the rival LVF gang

• A UDA firing party in the Ballysillan area

• Business premises burned in Cregagh area as result of an 11th night bonfire

• 30 Homes evacuated after gas pipe ruptured by bonfire in East Belfast

• Taxi and passengers attacked by loyalists in Blacks Road

• Police Services of Northern Ireland weapon and radio stolen following attack on PSNI by crowd at bonfire in
East Belfast

• A woman seriously sexually assaulted after bonfire in Bangor

• Parade supporters threw missiles at Ormeau Road residents from Stranmillis

• Catholic church attacked and dubbed with sectarian graffiti in Ballymena

• Catholic family put out of Ahoghill

• Catholic home fire bombed on Crumlin Road

Senior Orangeman, Deputy Grand Master McMurdie when interviewed on BBC on Monday 11th regarding links between the Orange Order and the various loyalist paramilitary gangs said: 'They are on our side. We might not agree with everything they do but they have been helpful to brethren in north and west Belfast.” Sources: Sinn Fein News, Irish Echo, UTV, Belfast Telegraph